12 candidates want to be KC’s next mayor. Here are the questions they need to answer

The campaign to be Kansas City’s next mayor is happening now. Voters will cast ballots in the primary just 10 weeks from Tuesday.

Kansas Citians will judge the 12 mayoral candidates on their experience, energy and vision. But voters also should insist on specific answers about urgent issues facing our community.

The candidates who honestly and fully answer those questions will prevail, and will deserve to.

Here are six areas the mayoral candidates should address with detailed plans for moving Kansas City forward.

▪ Public safety: Violent crime remains the most difficult problem plaguing the city. In 2017, Kansas City ranked fifth in the U.S. in murders per capita — a stunning statistic.

Children are shot and killed. Gun violence plagues neighborhoods on summer weekends. The city’s reputation for violence grows.

The next mayor must outline plans for addressing violence with specific targets for crime reduction — and a strategy to achieve them.

Is Kansas City spending enough on its police force? If not, how much more is needed? Where might the budget be cut to provide additional resources? Where should additional funds be spent?

Are there cost efficiencies now being ignored by the police department’s leadership? Are there opportunities for community groups to become more involved in crime reduction? Should the city push for local control of its police department?

Voters should not accept vague promises to attack this crisis. They should insist on well-thought-out plans to reduce violent crime.

▪ Economic development: Kansas City has spent millions of dollars to subsidize development in and around downtown. City Hall has forgone millions more in potential tax revenue through tax breaks and incentives.

No one doubts the success of some of these projects. But the next mayor must make his or her approach to incentives clear — including a plan for caps or other mechanisms to limit the damage to the city’s bank account.

Incentives that might have made sense 10 years ago may be unnecessary now. How will the next mayor judge project proposals? What can the city do to require developers to help less affluent neighborhoods prosper?

▪ Affordable housing: Too many low- and moderate-income Kansas Citians find themselves priced out of quality housing options. Rents have been going up in a city where nearly half of all residents lease their homes.

What can the community do to ensure access to housing in all neighborhoods? What additional limits and restrictions can be imposed on landlords to guarantee quality rentals?

Is gentrification an issue? If so, how might it be addressed? How is substandard housing linked to crime, poor education and diminishing job prospects?

▪ Kansas City International Airport: The next mayor will have to manage one of the biggest and most important public works projects in city history. Candidates must convince voters they’re ready to handle that responsibility.

Candidates should review the KCI process and critique it. What went right? What went wrong? Are continuing delays a minor blip on the radar or a reflection of a more serious problem?

The entire metropolitan area relies on the airport. The next mayor must demonstrate he or she is prepared to maintain KCI as a major asset for the entire region.

▪ Tax policy: Kansas City’s reliance on high sales taxes and a flat earnings tax has produced one of the most regressive tax structures in the nation. Candidates should tell voters if the status quo is acceptable or if major changes are needed.

At the same time, an assault on the 1 percent earnings tax continues. Under current law, voters will be asked to renew the tax again during the next mayor’s first term.

Outgoing Mayor Sly James has said there is no other way to collect enough revenue for the city. Is he right? If not, what might replace the earnings tax?

Are sales taxes too high? Can property taxes be reduced? Utility taxes are high, too. That exacerbates the problem for poor families.

▪ Early childhood education: On the same day voters pick the finalists in the mayor’s race, they also will decide on a plan to raise sales taxes for pre-kindergarten programs. Is the pre-K tax a good idea? If not, is there a better way to provide the service for Kansas Citians?

What role should the city play in education? What role does education play in creating a safe, inviting community?

Many of the candidates are already talking about these issues in town halls and debates. More discussion is needed.

The best candidates will understand the connective tissue that links all the issues on this agenda and will suggest specific plans to address them. Kansas Citians expect and deserve no less than that.

This story was originally published January 22, 2019 at 5:30 AM.